Black singers: list, short biographies, photos. These African women amaze with their appearance The most beautiful black actresses
These beauties are good-looking, have achieved a lot in the professional field and have armies of fans around the world. In our review, dark-skinned beauties who drove the world crazy.
1. Keke Palmer
2. Kenya Moore
American film and television actress, producer, model and writer.
3. Whitney Houston
American singer, producer, actress and former fashion model.
American actress.
5. Pam Grier
American actress.
6. Kerry Washington
American actress and political activist.
7 Thandie Newton
Very feminine and such an elegant English film actress.
8. Rihanna
Barbadian entertainer, singer-songwriter, fashion model.
9. Paula Patton
American actress.
10. Vanessa Williams
American actress and singer.
11. Rosario Dawson
American actress, singer and writer.
12. Alicia Keys
American singer, pianist, songwriter, producer and actress.
13. Ciara
American singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, model, music video director.
14. Zoe Saldana
American film actress.
15. Lupita Nyongo
Kenyan actress, director and producer.
16. Christina Milian
American actress and singer of Afro-Cuban descent.
17. Tamara Dobson
Afro American actress and a fashion model.
18. Katerina Graham
A young American celebrity who achieved popularity as an actress, model and singer.
19. Joy Bryant
Whoopi Goldberg. She was born in a black neighborhood of New York in a family with Jewish roots. From early childhood, Whoopi was an active and mischievous child, and at the age of eight she confidently played on stage in children's plays. In the early seventies, Goldberg joined the hippie movement, became addicted to drugs and lived for several years on meager unemployment benefits. In order not to die of hunger, the future star learned many professions - she even managed to work in a morgue. Her duties included makeup, which Whoopi skillfully “applied” to the faces of the dead. A little later, Goldberg managed to get a job in one of the theater troupes. The black girl's first success came after Whoopi showed her own dress-up show. In just a few minutes, the talented actress managed to try on six completely different characters at once. In 1985, by chance, Goldberg was invited to the film “The Color Purple,” and after its release, Whoopi became not only famous, but also received an Oscar nomination. Goldberg received her coveted statuette for her role in the film “Ghost.” Now Goldberg is the most popular black comedienne in the world, and her fees exceed a million dollars per film. Whoopi has a very difficult character and is not very attractive, and she admits this, but this does not stop Goldberg from having affairs with handsome and successful men! For several years her life partners were Frank Langella and Ted Danson, but most high-profile romance Whoopi's life began with a relationship with Gerard Depardieu, who loved this dark-skinned actress madly.
Jada Pinkett Smith. Another black actress who managed to conquer Hollywood. Jada was born in 1971 in Baltimore, in the family of a construction company director and a nurse. However, Jada's parents soon divorced, and the girl was mainly raised by her grandmother, who discovered Pinkett's talent and enrolled the girl in ballet, piano and tap dance lessons. Jada has a very interesting origin- her ancestors were Jews, Portuguese and Creoles. In 1990, Pinkett decides to conquer Hollywood and moves to Los Angeles. At first he plays episodic roles in TV series, and Jada’s first big role goes to the 1994 film “Missing Millions.” The most famous film with Pinkett's participation is “The Matrix. Reboot". In addition, Pinkett is known for voicing a hippopotamus in the animated film Madagascar. The actress has more than twenty roles in films and TV series. 23 years ago, Jada met Will Smith at the casting of the series, but the romance between the actors began much later. Only at the end of 1997 did they get married. Now the union of Smith and Pinkett is considered one of the strongest in Hollywood. The couple has three children. However Last year Information often appears in the press that the couple is planning to divorce.
Halle Berry. Currently, Halle Berry is considered the most famous and most beautiful black actress. She was born in 1966 in Cleveland. Her father is dark-skinned and her mother is white; they worked in a clinic, where they met. Halle is the only black actress to win an Oscar for her leading role. Berry's parents divorced when he was four years old, and his father did not take any part in raising Hallie. After graduating from school, the girl worked as a salesperson in a department store and participated in various beauty contests. In 1986, Berry participated in the Miss USA competition, where she took an honorable sixth place. The girl begins to be invited to appear in TV series, but in 1989, during filming, Hallie loses consciousness. After the diagnosis was made diabetes“Berry not only continues to act, but also develops her own nutrition system for diabetics and begins to actively engage in sports. Soon Berry was invited to play the leading role in the film “Heat of Love,” which brought her worldwide fame. Hallie several times made it to the top of various ratings of the sexiest and most beautiful women in the world. As for the actress’s personal life, she married basketball player David Justice for the first time, and musician Eric Bene for the second time. From civil marriage Hallie had a daughter with model Gabriel Aubrey. In October of this year, the actress gave birth to a son from her third husband, Olivier Martinez. By the way, Berry is a distant relative of Ellen DeGeneres and Mark Wahlberg.
Queen Latifah. This versatile Hollywood actress was born in 1970 in Newark in the family of a police officer and a teacher. Queen is an Oscar and Emmy nominee, and has won Golden Globe and Grammy awards. Latifah not only appears in films, but is also considered one of the most popular singers in America. Quinn was very plump since childhood, which did not stop her from playing on the basketball team. After graduating from school, Latifa's musical career began. The girl gained popularity within a couple of years. In 1991, she starred with Halle Berry in the popular film Heat of Love. The actress's credits include such well-known films as Upside Down, where she starred with Steve Martin, Scary Movie 3, Once Upon a Time in Vegas, and Last Holiday. In 2006, Latifah's star was laid on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Few people know what happened in this woman's life terrible tragedy. In 1992, she gave her brother a motorcycle, which she purchased with one of her first large royalties. A few months later, my brother was in a terrible accident and died on the spot. For many months Latifa blamed herself for her brother’s death, fell into depression and became addicted to drugs. In 1996, she was even detained by the police for possession of marijuana. Quinn managed to get rid of bad habit. Currently, Latifa is engaged in a solo career, acts in films, and also advertises clothes for obese women.
Zoe Saldana. One of the youngest and most successful black actresses in Hollywood. Zoe was born in 1978, in New Jersey, to a Puerto Rican and Dominican father. Saldana is of Jamaican, Libyan, Indian and Irish descent. When the actress was nine years old, her father died in a car accident, and her mother and Zoe went to the Dominican Republic. Saldana studied dance there and graduated from school, after which she and her mother returned to America. From the age of seventeen, Zoe performed on the stage of one of the Brooklyn theaters, and in 2002 she made her debut alongside Britney Spears in the film “Crossroads.” The actress gained popularity after the films “Terminal”, “Guess Who?”, “Pirates” Caribbean Sea. Black Pearl". However, Saldana's most stellar role is considered Navi in Avatar. In the near future, Zoe will star in the sequel to the acclaimed blockbuster. This summer, Saldana married Marco Perego. The actress dated him for only a month, after which they held a secret wedding ceremony.
Tina Turner
Born November 26, 1939 in Tennessee. No wonder Rolling Stone magazine named her one of the greatest singers of our time. Anna Mae Bullock (real name Tina Turner) has been singing since childhood. Winner of eight Grammy awards. For her artistry, temperament and stage expressiveness, she bears the title “Queen of Rock and Roll” and is listed among the ten best dancers in the world.
In 1956, guitarist Ike Turner noticed her and invited her to join his band. After the wedding, they formed a duet - Ike & Tina Turner, which was very popular. In 1975, during a joint tour, Tina left Ike - both personally and professionally. She later admitted that all these years her husband had been using drugs and beating her. Tina Turner's career as a solo artist began only in 1983. On January 16, 1988, Turner entered the Guinness Book of Records by performing in front of the largest paid audience - more than 188 thousand people at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. It was later reported that Turner again entered the Guinness Book of Records by selling concert tickets more than any other solo artist in the world. musical history.
Released in 1995 New film about James Bond "Goldeneye", the soundtrack to which was performed by Tina Turner. At the end of October 1999, Tina Turner returned to the UK Top 10 - her song "When The Heartache Is Over" took first place. Turner now lives in Switzerland; on July 15, 2013, she married music producer Erwin Bach, whom she dated for 27 years.
Pearl Bailey
Born March 29, 1918 in Virginia. A magnificent actress and singer, winner of the prestigious Tony Theater Award for the black version of the musical Hello, Dolly! At the age of 15, she began performing musical numbers, and after her brother Bill Bailey took up dancing, they organized an amateur theater in Philadelphia. In 1946, Bailey made her Broadway debut in the musical The St. Louis Woman. She played in the musical films “Carmen Jones”, “Porgy and Bess”, “St. Louis Blues”.
In 1964, Bailey and Cab Calloway appeared in the lead roles in an all-black version of the famous musical Hello, Dolly! Pearl then recorded a music album with numbers from the musical. She was married to jazz drummer Lou Bellson, and in 1961 they had a daughter, DJ Bellson, who died in July 2009, 5 months after her father's death.
Sarah Vaughn
Born March 27, 1924 in California. This is one of the greatest jazz vocalists of the 20th century. The star Vaughn rose in 1942. Over the next three years, she worked in big bands, then began her solo career. Since the 1950s, along with the classical jazz repertoire, she has recorded popular hits, which brought her widespread recognition outside the world of jazz. Vaughn objected to being called a jazz singer: she believed that her range was wider. The outstanding singer fell victim to her smoking addiction: she died at the age of 66 from lung cancer.
Janet Jackson
Janet is the youngest legendary family Jackson's. When Jackson was just learning to walk, her older brothers - Jackie, Tito, Germaine, Marlon and Michael - were already performing musical numbers in nightclubs and theaters, called The Jackson 5. She first appeared on stage at the age of 7; at the age of 16, Jackson signed a contract with the A&M record label, which released the album of the same name in 1982. While she was criticized for her modest vocal abilities and her “star” family, she was working on her third album, Control, which brought her fame. The subsequent album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, became a huge success in her career. In 1991, Jackson signed a multimillion-dollar contract with Virgin Records, becoming one of the highest paid performers in the world and a real sex symbol.
Now Janet is actively acting in films, hosting various shows on television and, of course, continues to sing.
Eartha Kitt
Born January 17, 1927. She is called a cabaret star, and she became famous thanks to her “purring” vocals and the corresponding image (for which she received the nickname “sex kitten”). Kitt made her Broadway debut in New Faces of 1952, after which she received worldwide fame with the Christmas hit "Santa Baby" (1953). Kitt enjoyed cult popularity; Many pop and rock singers named her among her main influences. Director Orson Welles called Kitt "the most exciting woman in the world."
Natalie Marie Cole
Born February 6, 1950. Singer, songwriter and actress, daughter of popular jazz pianist and singer Nat "King" Cole. She achieved great success at the very beginning of her career thanks to her R&B compositions, and by the early 1990s she smoothly changed her repertoire towards pop music and jazz. Over the years of her career, Cole was nominated for the prestigious Grammy music award 19 times and won it nine times. In addition to her musical career, Natalie Cole has played a number of roles on television and in big films.
Diahann Carroll
Actress and singer, winner of the Tony and Golden Globe awards, as well as a multiple Emmy and Oscar nominee. She starred in the films “Carmen Jones”, “Porgy and Bess”, “Paris Blues”.
She became the first African-American actress on American television with her own television show, “Julia,” where, unlike her predecessors, she was the main character, and not a servant or maid. In addition, her role in “Julia” brought her a Golden Globe in 1969. In 1975, the actress was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the film Claudine. In 1984, Carroll played in the television series Dynasty and Dynasty 2: The Colby Family. She underwent successful treatment for breast cancer, after which she became an activist in the fight against this disease.
Diana Ross
Diane Ernestine Earl Ross ( full name) was born March 26, 1944 in Michigan. She is rightfully considered one of the most popular American singers (soul, rhythm and blues, pop, disco, jazz, rock and roll styles), actress, music producer. Repeatedly nominated for Grammy, Oscar, Golden Globe, American Music Awards...
Ross is one of the few who have two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (one for solo career, the second - for his career as a member of “The Supremes”). In total, throughout her musical career, Diana Ross recorded 57 studio albums and sold more than 150 million records worldwide. In 1999, the VH1 music channel named Diana Ross to its 100 list.
In the film "Lady Sings the Blues" she played the famous black jazz singer Billie Holiday. In 1973, Ross was nominated for an Oscar for her role (losing to her friend Liza Minnelli). Now Diana is still successful, she has
Born December 31, 1948 in Boston. American singer who performed compositions in the musical styles of rhythm and blues and disco. Her dance recordings enjoyed the greatest success from the second half of the 1970s until the early 1980s, changing the face of popular music. Donna Summer was called the "queen of disco."
Donna Summer holds the record for the most consecutive double albums to reach number one on the Billboard 200. She also became the first singer in music history to have singles reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 four times in one year. Over the course of her career, she sold more than 130 million records. She has performed both in the USA and abroad. The singer has given successful world tours to European countries 7 times, Latin America, Asia and Australia. Summer's concerts were held with great success in the UK, Brazil, Germany and other countries. He is the winner of 6 Grammy awards. She died at the age of 64 in Florida on May 17, 2012 after long struggle with lung cancer, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. By the way, she was once included in the list of performers banned in the USSR with the wording - eroticism.
This top presents the most beautiful black actresses and singers of the last century and modern times.
27. Keke Palmer(born August 26, 1993, Illinois, USA) - American actress and singer.
26. Kenya Moore / Kenya Moore(born January 24, 1971) is an American actress, model, author and producer. Winner of competitions "Miss Michigan 1993" And "Miss USA 1993", entered the Top 6 at the competition "Miss Universe 1993".
25. Whitney Houston / Whitney Houston(August 9, 1963, Newark - February 11, 2012, Beverly Hills) - American pop, soul and rhythm and blues singer, actress, producer, model. One of the most commercially successful performers in the history of world music.
24. Michael Michele(born August 30, 1966) is an American actress of African-American descent on her mother's side. She is best known for her role as Dr. Cleo Finch in the television series ER.
23. Pam Grier(born May 26, 1949) - American actress. Notable actress in 1970s exploitation films focusing on women in prison, such as "The Big Cage," " Black mom, white mom" and "Women in a Cage", as well as the direction of blaxploitation, which later became one of the favorite actresses of feminists and African-Americans.
22. Kerry Washington(born January 31, 1977, Bronx, New York) is an American actress and political activist. She is best known for her roles in the films "Ray", "Fantastic Four", "The Last King of Scotland", "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", "Django Unchained" and others.
20. Rihanna / Rihanna(born February 20, 1988, Barbados) - R&B and pop singer and actress. At the age of 16 she moved to the United States to begin her singing career. She later signed a contract with Def Jam Recordings. She is of Afro-Guyanese descent on her mother's side.
19. Paula Patton(born December 5, 1975, Los Angeles) is an American actress. Famous films: "Deja Vu", "Treasure". He is of African-American descent on his father and Caucasian on his mother.
18. Vanessa Williams / Vanessa Williams(born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, actress and model who entered history in 1984, becoming first black winner of the Miss America title.
16. Alicia Keys / Alicia Keys(born January 25, 1981, New York) is a singer, pianist, poet and composer performing in the styles of rhythm and blues, soul and neo-soul, winner of fourteen Grammy awards.
15. Ciara / Ciara(born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, producer, dancer, actress, model, music video director. Ciara made her debut in the summer of 2004 with the single “Goodies,” which reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album sold more than five million worldwide and received numerous awards and nominations.
13.Lupita Nyong'o(born March 1, 1983) is a Kenyan actress, director and producer, winner of numerous awards, including an Oscar, for her role as slave Patsy in the historical drama 12 Years a Slave.
12.Christina Milian / Christine Milian(born September 26, 1981) is a famous American actress and singer of Afro-Cuban origin.
11. Christina Milian
/ Tamara Dobson(May 14, 1947 – October 2, 2006) was an African-American actress and model. Films: "Cleopatra Jones", "Women Behind Bars".
10. Katerina "Kat" Graham / Kat Graham(born September 5, 1989, Geneva, Switzerland) is an American actress, singer, model, music producer and dancer. She is best known for her role as Bonnie Bennett from the television series The Vampire Diaries. Has Liberian roots on his father's side.
9. Joy Bryant(born October 19, 1976) is an American actress and former model. Films with her participation: “The Story of Antoine Fischer”, “Scoundrel”, “Bobby”.
8. Nicole Scherzinger / Nicole Scherzinger(born June 29, 1978) is an American pop R&B singer, dancer, songwriter, record producer, actress and fashion model of Filipino-Hawaiian-Russian descent, best known as a vocalist. The group Pussycat Dolls.
7. Gugu Mbatha-Raw / Gugu Mbatha-Raw(b. 1983 Oxford, UK) - English actress. Her father is from Republic of South Africa. Films with her participation: "Doctor Who", "Desire for Revenge", "Larry Crown", "Odd Thomas".
4. Dorothy Dandridge / Dorothy Dandridge(November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) - American actress and singer became the first African-American woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.
3.Beyonce Knowles / Beyonce Knowles(born September 4, 1981, Houston) is an American R’n’B singer, music producer, actress, dancer and model. She became famous in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the female R&B group Destiny's Child. Knowles' father is African-American, and her mother is Creole.
2. Lisa Bonet / Lisa Bonet(born November 16, 1967 in San Francisco, California, USA) is an American actress, best known for her role in the sitcom The Cosby Show and its spin-off A Different World. He has African American roots on his father's side.
1. Jane Kennedy / Jayne Kennedy(born October 27, 1951) - American actress, sports commentator. She was chosen "Miss Ohio USA" in 1970 and thus became the first African American woman to win this title. She was also one of 15 semi-finalists in the competition "Miss USA 1970",which was a rare achievement for an African American woman. Films with her participation: “Women’s Prison”, “Forces of Death”, “Body and Soul”.
In the film “The Jungle Book,” the wolf Raksha is voiced by one of the most spectacular actresses in Hollywood, Lupita Nyong’o, whose fame was brought by the film “12 Years a Slave.” Today we will talk about ten dark-skinned beauties who conquered the world of cinema.
Lupita Nyong'o
The Kenyan beauty quickly gained worldwide fame. Lupita's path to success was somewhat uneventful compared to other actresses. So, being a native of Mexico, the girl spent her childhood in Kenya. Having matured, Nyong'o moved to the United States, where she began to learn the basics of acting while studying at the university. By the way, the actress soon began to combine training and work in some theatrical productions. However, we know the stories of many actors whose professional path includes unsuccessful debut film roles, outright failures, etc. But with Lupita the story is completely different: her debut work in the film “12 Years a Slave” brought the actress worldwide popularity and an Oscar statuette for best actress It is not surprising that after such a breakthrough, Nyong’o literally received a flurry of offers from famous directors, and the girl herself topped the list of the most beautiful women on the planet two years ago.
Zoe Saldana
The exotic appearance of the actress is quite understandable: Zoe has Libyan, Jamaican, Irish and Indian roots, so it is not at all surprising that with such external data the girl managed to reach the top in show business. His acting career Saldana owes much to ballet and contemporary Latin American dance, which she studied at Dominican Republic. It was this experience that brought the future actress to the youth theater in New York, where the girl was noticed and invited to an acting agency. The dance lessons were not in vain; Zoe made her debut with the role of a ballerina in the film “Proscenium”. Then, the actress starred in such films as “Crossroads”, “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”, “The Terminal”, “Star Trek”. But the girl’s most striking role is considered to be James Cameron’s acclaimed film Avatar. It was this picture that elevated Saldana to new level success. And her work in the film “Guardians of the Galaxy” only cemented the actress’ superstar status. By the way, the second part of Avatar will premiere in 2018, where Zoe will again play the main role.
Halle Berry
Forever young and luxurious Halle Berry continues to delight fans with her impeccable appearance. At almost fifty years old, the actress has reached heights that no black actress would dare to dream of. Holly is the first black actress in cinema history to win an Oscar for her leading role. The actress won the coveted statuette for the film “Monster’s Ball.” However, the star’s path to success was long and winding. At first, the girl had a career in the fashion world, and participation in beauty pageants brought Holly several prestigious titles, including “Miss Ohio USA” and “First Vice-Miss USA 1986.” By the way, the future superstar also became the first black model to represent the United States at the Miss World pageant in 1986. Then Berry took sixth place. After some time, the girl decided to explore the world of cinema. The first episodic roles did not bring Holly the long-awaited success. However, after Spike Lee's film Rain Fever, the actress's name finally became more or less recognizable. This work was followed by the following, more successful ones: “The Case of Isaiah” and “Chasing the Sun.” And for her role in the biographical film Meet Dorothy Dandridge, Berry received an Emmy and a Golden Globe. You can tell the story of the actress’s development for a long time, but some of Holly’s brightest works are the mystical film “Gothic” and the series of films “X-Men”. In addition, the Hollywood actress has repeatedly been called the most beautiful woman planet and still holds this title.
Kerry Washington
The American actress gained popularity after the film “Fantastic Four,” and the subsequent sequel to the film only strengthened Carrey’s success. Rumor has it that this starring role was originally written for a white-skinned and blue-eyed actress, but the creators of the film rewrote the role specifically for Washington. However, the leading role in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Django Unchained” brought resounding success and world fame to the girl. By the way, in parallel with her work in films, the girl is also involved in television. Thus, the political series “Scandal” in leading role with Kerry brought her an Emmy nomination. Thus, Washington became the first black actress to play a dramatic role on American television.
Thandie Newton
The debut for the English actress was the dramatic film “Flirting.” By the way, this film paved the way for another actress, Tandy’s friend, Nicole Kidman. And Newton achieved success after her role in the film “Jefferson in Paris,” thanks to which she immediately received a role in another film, “Beloved.” Tandy's credits include a brilliant performance in the film Mission: Impossible 2, where her partner was Tom Cruise, and in the science fiction film The Chronicles of Riddick, the actress's partner was Vin Diesel. In addition, the crime drama “Clash”, in addition to critical acclaim, brought the girl a BAFTA Award. By the way, Newton was originally supposed to play the role in Charlie's Angels, but she was later replaced by Lucy Liu.
Rosario Dawnson
The American actress owes her extraordinary appearance to her ancestors: her mother has Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican roots, and her father, whom, by the way, Rosario has never seen, is half Irish and Native American. Also in early childhood Dawnson first appeared on television, her debut was the popular children's program Sesame Street. And at the age of fifteen, the girl was incredibly lucky: she was noticed by a famous photographer and producer, with whose help Rosario starred in the scandalous film “Children.” After this, the career of the young actress skyrocketed. She has roles in such films as “Men in Black 2”, “Sin City”, “Death Proof”, “My Zoo Boy”. And now Dawnson is starring in the television series Daredevil, which is successfully airing on American television.
Alicia Keys
Perhaps the most popular soul singer needs no introduction. Over the years of creativity, there is not a single person left who has not seen or heard this charming girl. And yet, Alisha’s path to fame was long and thorny. Born in a poor area of New York, the girl, possessing remarkable talent, managed not only to get out of poverty, but also to make a huge fortune. The winner of fourteen Grammy statuettes, the author of soundtracks for popular films - all this is the merit of Keys herself, who began working on herself since adolescence. At the age of fourteen, the girl began writing music, and at sixteen, in just three years, she studied at one of the most prestigious performing arts schools. For all my creative career the girl released four studio albums, which sold millions of copies and were a huge success. But now, apparently, Alisha took a short break from her career and decided to devote herself to her family: the singer is happily married and has two sons.
